Photo by Sarah Finnegan.
Meredith Drennen, left, of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce; Britt Thames of the Homewood City Council; and Betsy McGuire of Greenspace Initiative in Edgewood. The city of Homewood, with funding help from the Chamber of Commerce, will begin a five-year contract with Daniel Communities to study current market conditions, redevelopment opportunities and gaps in the retail sector.
It takes a lot of elements to make a successful business community: the right mix of retailers, easy access and parking, all brought together in an attractive place for people to shop.
Bringing those pieces together is a practice that Daniel Corporation Vice President Doug Neil calls “placemaking.”
“It speaks to architecture, it speaks to landscaping, it speaks to the totality of the place, that creates places that people want to be a part of,” Neil said.
In late 2017, the city of Homewood signed a five-year contract with the Daniel Communities to provide economic development services. Work has begun on the first phase, which will be six to 12 months of researching Homewood’s current market conditions, redevelopment opportunities and gaps in the retail sector.
This research will be combined with other city projects, including the ongoing downtown master planning process and the upcoming citywide traffic study, Neil said.
The research phase will be followed by prioritization with the city, Neil said, to determine economic focus areas. Daniel Communities will help Homewood market to and secure businesses that fit with those priorities.
Ward 1 Rep. Britt Thames said the contract includes a $20,000 engagement fee and $150,000 over the first two years, which will be split by the city of Homewood and the Homewood Chamber of Commerce. The contract stipulates that Daniel Communities will receive 75 percent of building permit fees on the first $100 million of new investment in Homewood, followed by 50 percent of permit fees throughout the remainder of the contract term.
“They presented us with a program that we felt was very results-oriented. They only make money if satisfactory results are happening,” Thames said.
Daniel Communities has previously worked with the developments of Lane Parke in Mountain Brook and Patchwork Farms in Vestavia Hills. Residents in Patchwork Farms have filed a lawsuit against Daniel Corporation and the city of Vestavia Hills, alleging violation of the original development agreement related to the size and type of development constructed, as well as buffers between the development and neighboring homes.
Though that suit is ongoing, Thames said that did not factor into the city’s decision to hire the firm. Daniel Communities will be working with Homewood in a different capacity from the firm’s role with the city of Vestavia Hills.
“Every situation’s independent,” Thames said.
Interviews with Homewood government officials, businesses and property owners have begun, Thames said. Though Daniel Communities hasn’t met with the full council to determine priorities, Thames said possible focus areas include Wildwood Shopping Center, the Green Springs corridor and improving traffic through the citywide study and planned redesign of the Lakeshore Parkway/Interstate 65 interchange.
The city is working with the Alabama Department of Transportation on an “imminent” ownership exchange of West Lakeshore Parkway for Green Springs Highway. Having control over Green Springs, Thames said, would allow more flexibility in improving the appearance of the street’s commercial areas.
“We are very hampered by ALDOT regulations on what can happen on Green Springs,” Thames said.
West Homewood residents David and Wani Shaw, the owners of Magic City Sweet Ice, said West Homewood is “right on the cusp” of a booming business market, and they think improving roads and cleaning up areas such as Green Springs and Valley Avenue would do a lot to spur that boom. David Shaw said he liked the redevelopment done to the former Mazer’s building — now home to an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Hometown Supermarket and Cicis Pizza — and said the shopping center seems to see plenty of traffic.
“That would probably change the perspective of the way people see this side of Homewood,” Wani Shaw said of plans for the city to take over ownership of Green Springs.
Thames is also interested in looking at what’s missing in the downtown area, such as grocery shopping or mixed use, live/work developments. Because the city lacks undeveloped land or room to grow, he said redevelopment of existing retail areas is on the horizon, and the city wants to be part of the process.
“Different parts of the city lack different things,” Thames said. “Just unchecked, wild change could lead to some unintended consequences.”
Neil said that while conversations and surveys with residents will be part of the economic research, Daniel Communities’ work will primarily be driven by the goals of city officials.
“The mayor and the council will determine what opportunities are ultimately pursued and fit the vision of the city,” Neil said. “My job is to provide research to support that, … to help guide some strategy.”
The Homewood Star surveyed readers from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 on economic development. Of 61 respondents, about 69 percent said they wanted to see redevelopment along Green Springs, followed by 62 percent supporting development in West Homewood and 49 percent in Wildwood and Lakeshore Parkway. Just over 30 percent said they would like to see new development in the Edgewood/Central Avenue areas and Rosedale.
When asked what new types of business they would like to see in Homewood, responses were mixed. Some respondents wanted to see more locally owned businesses, while others felt that what the city needs is more major retailers. Clothing stores, such as boutiques and a sporting goods store, were frequently mentioned by respondents, as were high-end restaurants and a bar or music venue. Sixteen people mentioned some form of entertainment, such as a music venue or movie theater.
While many survey respondents said they already do most of their shopping in Homewood, they said by a large majority that better parking, pedestrian access and road conditions would make shopping local easier.
See full results of The Homewood Star’s survey at thehomewoodstar.com.
The city’s contract with Daniel Communities won’t show tangible results for at least a year, as research is underway. However, Thames said conducting this long-term contract fits with the city’s approach to other major projects, such as the downtown master plan and the parks redevelopment.
“It’s kind of in our nature,” Thames said. “We did the sidewalk plan, we did the paving plan, the tree planting plan. We’re pretty intentional when we do things, and this just follows right along with that.”
